The Santa Maria City Council was scheduled at its Nov. 1 meeting to consider moving forward with a Police Citizens Review Board, a proposed panel of city residents tasked with oversight of complaints alleging police misconduct.
Mayor Pro Tem Alice Patino requested the council look into the possibility of establishing the board at its Aug. 2 meeting.
Citizen complaints regarding Santa Maria Police Department employees are currently handled by an Internal Affairs lieutenant, who determines whether the allegations are unfounded, exonerated, sustained, or not sustained. The results are forwarded to commanders and then, if warranted, to the chief of police, who has final determination of whether or not formal charges will be brought against the subject of the complaint.
According to a report by city staff, citizen review boards typically only have the authority to make recommendations as a result of their findings, and are common in cities much larger than Santa Maria. There are four prevalent types: Type 1 is the most independent, where citizens directly investigate allegations of misconduct and recommend findings to the police chief.
Other types of boards include a citizens’ review of Internal Affairs investigations conducted by police officers, an appeals process where the board hears appeals of investigations, and where an auditor investigates the complaint process.
City staff recommended the creation of a task force to gather community input, which could take several months to a year to start.
This article appears in Nov 3-9, 2011.